1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for classifying contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have begun to spread digital broadcasts, which can multiplex data broadcast in addition to data of time-varying images and voices. Digital televisions supporting such digital broadcasts not only can enjoy the programs but can also peruse or store its contents (e.g., information such as map information, a good catalogue or recipe) provided by data broadcast. There has also been proposed a technique for printing those contents by connecting a printer with a digital television.
In case a printing instruction is made from a television, it is necessary for the related art to set various printing modes (or printing conditions) such as paper sizes, paper kinds, printing directions and image qualities for the contents (as will be merely called the “printing contents”) to be printed, on a control panel displayed. This setting operation is substantially similar to an operation of the casein which the print is instructed from a personal computer.
A technique for lightening a load required for an operation to set printing modes has been disclosed in JP-A-2002-292941 and JP-A-9-282472. In JP-A-2002-292941, specifically, there is provided an image processing apparatus for setting the optimum printing condition automatically by analyzing the recorded information of individual image data stored in an image storage unit, to change and set the printing conditions for the individual image data thereby to execute a predetermined image processing. In JP-A-9-282472, on the other hand, there is disclosed a method, in which a page describing language is analyzed for each line to decide the attributes of an image (i.e., to determine the images of photographs/characters) so that the image processing is accordingly executed. Here, either of the disclosures is a technique which is applied when the image data are outputted from personal computers.
Generally, inputting operations of televisions have to be performed by a remote control. Then, the input/select operations are preferred to be less for classifying/retrieving the printing contents or for setting the printing mode. This is because it is complicated and takes a long time to input characters or the like with limited keys of the remote control.
In case the printing operation is done with a television, moreover, there arises a problem that it obstructs the enjoyment of a TV program to display an operation panel thoughtlessly on the screen.